-it/-at/-tt

-it/-at/-tt (Supine Form)

Level 1

The supine is a verb form that usually ends in -at, -it, -t, or -tt. It combines with the verb har (have) to form the perfect tense, which describes something that has happened.

How It Works

The supine is one of the principal parts of a Swedish verb that you need to learn. Its main job is to form the perfect tense (something that has happened) and the pluperfect tense (something that had happened).

The ending of the supine form depends on the verb's conjugation group:

  • Group 1 (-ar verbs): Remove the -a from the infinitive and add -at.
    tala (to speak) → talat (spoken)
  • Group 2 (-er verbs): Take the verb stem (usually the infinitive form without the final -a) and add -t.
    läsa (to read) → läst (read)
  • Group 3 (-r verbs): For short verbs where the stem ends in a long vowel, add -tt.
    bo (to live) → bott (lived)
    tro (to believe) → trott (believed)
  • Group 4 (Strong/Irregular Verbs): These don't follow a simple rule and often end in -it. You need to memorize them.
    skriva (to write) → skrivit (written)
    äta (to eat) → ätit (eaten)

The supine combines with forms of ha, including infinitive ha: Hon måste ha glömt det (She must have forgotten it). In standard subordinate clauses, har or hade can be omitted: Jag vet att hon (har) läst boken. This does not make the supine a finite tense.

These are formation patterns, not a claim that all verbs with a similar present ending share a group. Group 2 has spelling and stem changes such as vända–vänt and leda–lett. The supine itself does not agree with the subject: hon har skrivit, de har skrivit. It differs from a past participle used adjectivally, which can agree.

Examples (5)

  1. Jag har talat med läraren.

    I have spoken with the teacher.

    Word by Word: I have spoken with the-teacher.

    talat is the supine of the Group 1 verb 'tala' (to speak).

  2. Har du läst den här boken?

    Have you read this book?

    Word by Word: Have you read this here book?

    läst is the supine of the Group 2 verb 'läsa' (to read).

  3. Vi har bott i Stockholm i två år.

    We have lived in Stockholm for two years.

    Word by Word: We have lived in Stockholm in two years.

    bott is the supine of the Group 3 verb 'bo' (to live).

  4. Hon har skrivit ett mejl.

    She has written an email.

    Word by Word: She has written an email.

    skrivit is the supine of the strong verb 'skriva' (to write).

  5. De har inte ätit lunch än.

    They have not eaten lunch yet.

    Word by Word: They have not eaten lunch yet.

    ätit is the supine of the strong verb 'äta' (to eat).

Common Mistakes

  • Confusing the supine form with the simple past tense (-de/-te) after 'har'.

    Jag har jobbade hela dagen.
    Jag har jobbat hela dagen.

    After 'har' (have), you must use the supine form (jobbat), not the simple past tense (jobbade). The past tense is used on its own: 'Jag jobbade' (I worked).

  • Omitting the finite auxiliary in an ordinary full main clause.

    Jag sett den filmen.
    Jag har sett den filmen.

    The ordinary declarative main clause needs a finite verb: Jag har sett den filmen. The supine sett is not finite. This is not a general ban on omitted ha: omission of har/hade is standard in subordinate clauses such as filmen som jag (har) sett.

How It Connects

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-it/-at/-ttLevel 1-it/-at/-tt (Supine Form)

Learn This First

To understand the supine form, you need to be familiar with the general concept of tenses and how Swedish verbs are categorized into different conjugation groups, as the supine ending (-it, -at, or -tt) depends on the verb type. Additionally, since the supine is always used with an auxiliary verb, basic word order knowledge is necessary to place it correctly.

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